My Besties: The Come Up

by Asia Hill

  “You good, my nigga?”

  “Hell naw! I got a little spot over on 85th and Marquette. Last night a motha fucker stained me for three hundred fifty G’s.”

  I almost passed out.

  “And that ain’t even the worst part. That money belonged to me, Boogie, and Big Moe!”

  “Damn Joe! That’s fucked up! That nigga still crazy?”

  “Hell yeah, but the killing part of the whole situation is that the little hoe I’m fucking is the one that set me up to get hit!”

  “Damn, my nigga! Yo ass got problems!”

  “The good side of it is that she told me who helped her brother steal my shit.”

  “Wait! Her brother? Where that nigga at?”

  “When I went to check on the money, dude ass was laying in the middle of the garage, dead!”

  “So the niggas that helped him hit the lick killed his ass afterwards?”

  “Yeah. She said it was four niggas. She only know one of their names. Some dude named, Dirty E.”

  I had a bad taste in my mouth. “Ay Joe, is Dirty E a nigga?”

  “Yeah. Why?”

  “No reason.”

  I took a deep breath. For some reason I thought about my boo and her little crew. They don’t even look like they get down like that.

  “Here go my number. Hit me if you need me.”

  I see Poohman coming out the gas station with a mug on his face. JR and Poohman never saw eye-to-eye. They even fist fought a couple of times. Poohman always got the best of JR until Boogie jumped in and that’s when I jumped in. It was all love with JR and Boogie. I didn’t fuck with Big Moe like that. He was a nut. Poohman didn’t fuck with Big Moe either.

  JR looked at Poohman and smiled, “What up Pooh?”

  “Fuck you nigga!”

  “Damn dawg, you still mad?”

  “Hell naw, nigga! You can’t whoop me by yo’self, pussy.”

  Let me end this shit before these two niggas send this gas station up. “Alright JR, holla at me if you need me.”

  I hopped back in my car and peeled off. “Call Re and tell them we on the way.”

  While Poohman called the girls, I couldn’t help but think about what JR told me.

  “What you thinking about?”

  I told him all of what JR said.

  “My first thought was the girls. I dismissed that shit because I just can’t see them getting down like that; feel me?”

  We spent the rest of the day helping the girls pick out cars. I was impressed at my boo’s taste. She chose this money green; two door ninety-six Cutlass. Straight throw back! The interior had peanut butter colored leather. It had a sunroof and the miles were really low. The funny thing is that all of them chose Cutties.

  ReRe chose this all-black drop top Cutlass. I think it was a ninety-five. The inside was sick. White leather, my nigga! Tiki chose this four door white Cutlass with white leather. It had a roof, too. Man Joe, Dirty killed the game when she copped a red two door Coupe with red and black racecar seats. The windows were tinted red.

  Poohman and I helped with the tags and insurance since their young ass didn’t have a license. JuJu walked towards me talking a mile a minute.

  “Boo, we gotta hit the rim and sound store. I wanna get four, twelve’s in the trunk and I want twenty-tow inch rims.”

  “You don’t even have an alarm. Slow down, I got you.”

  “Oooh and we gotta get some customized plates that say E.S.C.”

  “What that mean?”

  She smiled at me with joy in her eyes. “Eastside Crazy!”

  Poohman and I looked at each other and I walked towards my car to grab my phone.

  “Where you going, boo?”

  “I gotta make a phone call, shawty.”

  “Went to sleep real, woke up realer,

  Goon affiliated, ex drug dealer, resume`

  solid, street cred bigger!”

  Chapter 12

  Auntie Boo

  “What up, nephew? Huh? How much you say she gave them? I dunno about all that, but I’ll get to the bottom of it and I’mma hit you later.”

  I hear shit in the streets, but I’mma vet. I don’t believe everything I hear. My nephew has been spending time with my Goddaughter JuJu for a month or so. I see that he likes her. Some things came to light and it got him concerned. So what does he do? He calls me because I get to the bottom of EVERYTHING!

  First, he says that she always has money. We all know her little bad ass doesn’t have a job and her little friends don’t either. This hood been in an uproar since they found Pancho’s body on the next block dead in some garage. Rumor has it; he was robbed and then murdered.

  Come to think of it, for the last year or so, all these little dough boys around here have been getting robbed. I also heard that Pancho had a hand in each and every robbery. There’s no telling who killed his shiesty ass.

  Jaw asked me to ask Lil Mama if she gave JuJu and her little besties some money because they had a few thousand apiece and they all said that Lil Mama gave it to them. I know the answer to that already. HELL NAW! I know she does for them here and there, but not a few thousand apiece. Something is going on and I’m the one that’s going to find out.

  I know that they’re not fucking, so tricking is out of the question. I really don’t want to call Lil Mama and get her all in an uproar. She doesn’t play with JuJu and she damn sure doesn’t play about her. She loves that girl like a daughter.

  What most don’t know because we don’t talk about it is that Lil Mama and Ja`ziya’s mother Lil Baby were identical twins. Lil Baby had JuJu and then hit the streets. She chased that almighty dollar until her feet were sore. Ju always knew the difference, but Lil Mama was always there.

  After Lil Mama finished high school, she hit the streets too. She kept her niece with her until she started hitting banks. She paid her younger sister, Shante’ to watch her.

  Things went left and quiet as kept; Tae was the reason that she got popped by the FEDS. She was out drinking one night and she got loose with her mouth. Somebody turned Lil Mama in for that reward money. She left her stash with me. She only left Tae with enough to take care of JuJu. She knew Tae wasn’t going to take care of her, so I did.

  Now they don’t fuck with each other at all. Hell, Ja`ziya barely stays with Tae now that Lil Mama is home. I can’t figure this shit out. Let me call Lil Mama and let her know what’s going on. If I keep this from her, this crazy ass Jamaican is going to have a fit! I don’t feel like fighting that hoe, nor do I care to be called all these blood clots and bumba clots. I don’t even know what that shit mean. I do know that it isn’t nice.

  “Hey hoe, what you doing? What? Wait kill who? JuJu? Why? WHAT? I’m on the way!”

  (Lil Mama)

  I’m so mad that I can’t even see straight. Here I am, trying to be all domesticated and shit, cleaning up after this funky ass niece of mine. I don’t snoop through her shit because I was in prison for almost eight years. The correctional officers always went through our things. That shit is degrading and most of it is unnecessary.

  They went as far as throwing our clean clothes on the floor. Spilling food on them and even allowing the K9’s to walk on our clean beds. Their dirty asses would leave our lockers open and other inmates would steal our shit. I never want her to feel like she don’t have privacy in my house because she does.

  I know the last eight years have been rough on her. My sister didn’t treat her right, so that’s why I gave her that privacy and fresh air to breathe. This little heifer and her besties as she would call them, leaves this room a damn mess, so I call myself being nice and cleaning this room. As I’m picking up the clean clothes and putting them back in the closet where they belong, I find a black bag full of money.

  “What the fuck?”

  I sat there and counted the money. I almost blew a fuse, y’all! This bitch has nearly $350,000.00 in there. It was separated into four different bundles. Then I thought, four bundles, four girls. I’mma kil
l this little girl!

  (15 Minutes Later)

  KNOCK! KNOCK!

  “Boo, it’s open.”

  My best friend walks in to find me sitting on JuJu’s closet floor.

  “How much you find?”

  I shook my head and said, “It’s more than my stash.”

  She gave me that, “Damn” look.

  “Boo, these damn kids done did some shit that got some serious consequences behind it. I know they must be holding this for somebody. I know they’re little scary asses ain’t out here making moves like this.”

  Boo sat down next to me. “Don’t trip sis, we gon find out what’s going on. Let me find out yo ass paranoid.”

  “Hell naw, hoe! I am not paranoid! I’m on parole!”

  “All I talk about is money, cuz

  that’s all I know, ya heard me!”

  Chapter 13

  Big Moe

  “Hello.”

  “Big Moe.”

  “What nigga?”

  “We got a problem.”

  “It better not involve my money!”

  “Meet me over East.”

  I had a feeling that I was going to murder me a motha fucker today. I just didn’t think it would be my own blood. Something told me to just grab my share of that money.

  I jumped up and hit the showers real quick. Thirty minutes later, I’m out the door. Damn, it’s a nice day. I had plans to chill, too bad I’m about to make the city rain red today. I’m cruising down 79th. The hoes are out.

  “Damn, who is that?” I had to pull over. Shawty was a redbone and she was thick to death. I need some new pussy in my life. I pull up in the parking lot to this laundry mat on 79th and Colfax. I hopped out and went up to a corner store looking for the ol’ girl.

  “A, you seen shawty that just came in here?”

  The cashier points to the back of the store. I walk back there and I see her at the counter ordering some steaks. “You gon cook one for me”

  She turns around and gives me this, who the fuck are you look.

  “A, whatever she buying, I’m paying for.”

  “Naw, I’m good. Thanks anyway.”

  She turned around, grabbed her food, and handed the clerk a fifty. “This should cover my bill and whatever I’m getting.” She looked at me, smiled, and walked off.

  “Damn!” I told the clerk to give me her change and I ran after her. Yes, I ran. Shawty was that bad! I get to the front of the store just in time to see her on her phone.

  “Let me get the number to that phone, so I can call you.”

  She ended her call and then asked, “Is that how you try and holla at a female? If so, then yo ass need lessons.”

  The nerve of this bitch! She’s fine, but I’ll slap the fuck out this hoe. I’m just trying to fuck. Now I’mma make her suck my dick too! Smart-ass mouth. “I don’t mean no disrespect. You bad! What else can I say?”

  She cracks a smile. “You shoulda just said that then. I’m Boo.”

  (JR)

  “Tutu, I think you should leave before Big Moe gets here.”

  She jumped out the bed so fast; you would have thought it was on fire. “I agree, baby.”

  I beat the shit outta her for getting me robbed. I really do love this hoe. Anybody else would be floating in Lake Michigan. Plus, I think losing her brother was torture enough.

  “Why you think you having a free day, bitch? You better go over East and find out who the fuck them niggas is before I stomp yo face into the ground, bitch!”

  (Tutu)

  I’m sitting in the bed watching TV when JR comes and tells me that I should leave before his cousin gets here. That shit was like music to my ears. Since Pancho died, he’s been beating me one minute, and then fucking me the next. I do need some air, plus I’m going to find out who the fuck killed my brother.

  After I hopped out of the shower, I called my little brother.

  “Hello.”

  “What up, Tutu? Where you been?”

  “I’m on my way over there. Where you at?”

  “I’m at home.”

  “Lil Man, don’t tell nobody I’m coming, ok? I wanna holla at you about Pancho, ok.”

  “Okay.”

  I walk in the living room on my way out the door and I see JR looking out the window.

  “Big Moe here.”

  (Big Moe)

  “Boogie, I’m at JR’s crib, come through.”

  “Alright, give me about forty-five minutes.”

  I hope this nigga tells me something good. As I make my way up to the front door, his trifling ass bitch, Tutu is coming out.

  “Hey, Big Moe.”

  “What up? Where JR?”

  “In the living room waiting on you.”

  Every time I see her, I get a bad feeling about her. I told JR, but the nigga is too pussy-whipped. Ol’ sucka ass nigga!

  “What up, JR?”

  “Man Joe, somebody hit the spot.”

  I knew that shit was coming so I didn’t even snap off the bat. Deep down inside, I knew that he would never cross me, but something isn’t right. He played the security video for me.

  “So, it was five of them?”

  “It’s four now. Dude in the white tee was dead in the garage with my damn dogs. He don’t look familiar.”

  I had to ask him. “Where was yo bitch at?”

  He shook his head and chuckled. “She was here with me, cuz.”

  “So what now, my nigga? I’m not about to take a loss like that. Somebody gon pay for this shit! In the meantime, we got another job at a Chase Bank in Hammond Indiana. I was told the payout could be up to half a ticket. So get cha mind right; alright?”

  “Where’s Boogie?”

  “He’s on his way so we can go over the details.”

  “Somebody who you’re around wants to

  clip your wings and shoot ya down, but

  it’s okay to keep enemies close, as long

  as you know who you’re around!”

  Chapter 14

  LJ

  I’m on the way to scoop up Poohman so that we can chop it up as to what my Auntie Boo told me about JuJu and her damn besties. As I pulled up to his house, I see JR’s car in front of his crib.

  “What the hell he doing over this way?”

  I hop out my whip and walked over to the driver side window. It slides down “What up my –. Oh my bad shawty, I thought you was somebody else.”

  She licks her lips and smiles. “I can be whoever you want me to be.”

  These hoes will do anything. “Ain’t this JR’s car?”